Transportable float-supported centrifugal pump assembly



Sept. 20, 1966 J. B. HANDFORD 3,273,507

TRANSPORTABLE FLOATSUPPORTED CENTRIFUGAL PUMP ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 7, 1964 United States Patent 3,273,507 TRANSPORTABLE FLOAT-SUPPORTED CEN- TRTEUGAL PUMP ASSEMBLY James Bruce Handful-d, Paradise Point, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia Filed Oct. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 402,078 (Ilaims priority, application Australia, Oct. 15, 1963, 36,509/63 11 Claims. ((1 l03- -87) This invention relates to a transportable float-supported centrifugal pump assembly, and is particularly directed to a pump structure which, by virtue of its float attachment, may remain suspended below the surface of the liquid to be pumped for continuous self-priming operation.

There are numerous occasions when a light weight transportable float-supported centrifugal pump assembly could be of considerable value both to city and country dwellers. One occasion when this would be particularly in evidence would be when it became necessary to carry water or other liquid from place to place in transportable storage tanks filled from reserve supplies located at various points along the route. Such an application would have particular value in relation to rural fire fighting equipment, when, on account of the restricted number of water mains available in country areas, it may well become necessary to pump water from adjacent ponds to assist in combatting a fire hazzard. A further occasion when a transportable float-supported centrifugal pump as sembly would be of immense value both to the city and the country dweller, would be for dispelling water from buildings or other sites which may have become flooded following a deluge of rain.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a transportable float-supported centrifugal pump assembly which, at comparatively low cost, will serve the above requirements.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In accordance with the present invention I provide a transportable float-supported centrifugal pump assembly said assembly consisting of a float or floats, serving to support an internal combustion engine above the liquid to be pumped; a centrifugal pump driven by the said internal combustion engine and supported by the said float or floats below the surface of the liquid to be pumped; ancillary means for the supply of fuel to, and the control of operation of, said internal combustion engine; an inlet orifice to draw liquid into the pump; and a discharge pipe extending from the pump casing to convey the liquid under pressure from the pump after it has been acted upon by the rotation of the pump impeller vanes.

In one means for carrying this invention into effect, use is made of a single float fabricated into the form of a closed loop. This float may be rectangular in shape with each side formed as a hollow circular tube preferably fabricated from No. 16 gauge, M57 aluminum. The rectangular loop construction is developed by mitering the ends of the four tubular members, and abutting and welding these ends together to provide a float which is completely sealed against the ingress of liquid.

Alternatively, other known forms of float construction may be employed. These may include a circular hollow ring constructed from a single length of tubing, and sealed against any inflow of liquid; a closed loop formed from tubing of any shape filled with any substance capable of floating upon a liquid surface; or a number of floats formed of suitable buoyant material.

The internal combustion engine may be supported above the space bounded by the float or floats in any suitable manner, such as by a plurality of supporting straps passing directly from the engine casing to the float or floats, or

a raised platform fabricated to an appropriate shape. The supporting structure may be constructed from any suitable material which combines lightness in weight with adequate strength to carry the supported load.

Whilst in the interests of compactness it has been found preferable to support the engine and all its ancillary equipment, such as the fuel tank, and the control mechanism, upon a float-supported structure capable of bearing the weight of both the engine and pump unit, it is within the scope of this invention to mount the aforesaid ancillary equipment upon an auxiliary platform located a short distance away from the main floating structure. This auxiliary platform may be situated on firm ground or upon some other floating structure adjacent to, or within, the reservoir within which the pumping operation is being carried out. Under these conditions the fuel may be supplied to the engine through a delivery hose passing from a fuel tank located on the auxiliary platform and extending to the engine carburetor, and the engine control may take the form of remote electrical or mechanical mechanism of known form also mounted upon the auxiliary platform.

The pump casing is preferably supported in such a manner as to lie in a horizontal plane below the surface of the liquid to be drawn through the pump. This support may be effected by a plurality of downwardly extending pillars attached at their upper ends to the underside of the engine casing, or the structure supporting the engine. The lower ends of the supporting pillars are attached to the uppermost outside surface of the pump casing.

The pump is preferably driven directly through a shaft which extends in a vertical downward direction from the internal combustion engine. This shaft passes through the upper wall of the pump casing and has an inward taper at its lower end. This tapered lower end engages a tapered surface formed within a hollow boss centrally located upon the impeller section of the pump. A tapped cavity extends axially into the lower end of the shaft to receive a machine screw. This machine screw is located with the undersurface of its head bearing either directly or indirectly against the end surface of the tapered hollow boss, to tighten the vertical shaft into firm engagement with the pump impeller.

One means for carrying the invention into effect will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawin gs, in which:

FIGURE 1 represents a view in elevation, of a suitable form of pump assembly as it appears when floating upon a liquid surface;

FIGURE 2 represents a view in sectional elevation of a suitable construction for the assembly of float and P p;

FIGURE 3 represents a plan view of the float and bridging platform illustrated in sectional elevation in FIG- URE'Z.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1, a lightweight internal combustion engine 1, inclusive of all the ancillary equipment such as a recoil starting mechanism 2, and a fuel tank 3, is mounted upon a metal platform 4 raised above the level of the outer face of a hollow float 5 supported upon the surface of the liquid 6 .to be drawn through the pump. Four downwardly and outwardly depending rigid metal flaps 7, 8, 9, 10 (see FIGS. 1, 2, and 3) pass from the side edges of the platform 4 into rigid connection with the outer surface of the float 5.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the float 5 consists of four equal lengths of hollow aluminum tubing 11, 12, 13, 14. This tubing assumes the shape of a square sided closed loop structure by joining the lengths of tubing to gether, mitering the ends 15, and welding these ends together to form an integral float unit 5 sealed against the entry of any liquid. The lower edges 16, 17, 18, 19 of the downwardly and outwardly depending rigid metal flaps 7, 8, 9, and respectively, are welded to the curved outer surface of the float 5.

The pump casing hangs to lie in a horizontal plane situated below the liquid surface by means of three spaced, vertically disposed, pillars 21, 22, 23 rigidly attached to the outer surface of the upper wall of this pump casing. Three bolts pass through holes formed within the platform 4. These bolts are screwed into the upper ends of the pillars.

A vertical shaft 25 extends from the engine 1 (FIG. 1) through a central hole formed in the platform 4, and passes through a further hole drilled in the upper wall 24 of the pump casing 20. The lower end of this shaft is firmly attached to circular plate 26 which is fitted with a plurality of impeller vanes 27 over its undersurface. To enable a tight engagement to be effected between the shaft 25 and the plate 26, the lower end of this shaft has an inward taper substantially conforming to a taper formed over the interior surface of a hollow central boss 28 projecting downwardly from the undersurface of the circular plate 26. The tight engagement of the shaft 25 with the circular plate 26 is effected by the passage of a machine screw 29 into a threaded cavity formed within the lower end of the shaft, and passing into the shaft for a short distance from its lower end face. The head of this screw bears directly, or by medium of a washer, against the outer end surface of the boss 28.

A circular orifice 30 is formed through the lower wall of the pump casing. This orifice serves as an entry for the liquid into the casing and enables it to be forced through the casing under the pressure derived from the rotation of the impeller vanes. A discharge pipe 38 serves to withdraw the pumped liquid from the casing.

It will be appreciated that a transportable float-supported centrifugal pump assembly constructed in accordance with this invention presents a relatively cheap portable unit which is easily moved about from place to place within any modern form of vehicle. The cheapness of construction is particularly manifest in the fact that when the pump is in operation it can be retained below the surface of the liquid to be pumped, thereby offsetting any necessity for pump priming.

An added feature of this pump is the fact that when it is submerged in a reservoir of liquid, no suction hose requires to be fitted to the liquid intake port. Also, by attaching the plate which carries the impeller vanes di rectly to the engine shaft, full driving power is transferred to these vanes. As a speed governor is normally fitted to most forms of light internal combustion engines having a vertical driving shaft, the speed of the drive is retained in direct relationship to the load applied to the pump. On account of the absence of any necessity for having closely fitting metallic parts within the pump structure, the pump is capable of operation if small solid particles happen to be distributed in suspension within the liquid passing through the pump. Consequently, if the pump is constructed from sufficiently abrasive-resistant materials, it may be employed within the field of dredging sand with a floating dredge.

This transportable float-supported centrifugal pump assembly has a further advantage in that on account of the coolant effect of the surrounding liquid this type of pump, when suspended in a large body of liquid, will not overheat and boil any liquid which may happen to be trapped within its casing if the delivery pipe should become blocked.

What I claim is:

1. A transportable float-supported centrifugal pump assembly, said assembly consisting of a single float fabricated into the form of a closed loop rectangular in shape with its sides formed from lengths of hollow tubing of circular cross-section having mitered ends welded together to form a structure sealed against the ingress of liquid, said float serving to support an internal combustion engine above the liquid to be pumped; a centrifugal pump driven by said internal combustion engine and supported by said float below the surface of the liquid to be pumped; ancillary means for the supply of fuel to, and the control of operation of, said internal combustion engine; an inlet orifice to draw liquid into the pump; and a discharge pipe extending from the pump casing to convey the liquid under pressure from the pump after it has been acted upon by the rotation of the pump impeller vanes.

2. A transpotrable float-supported centrifugal pump assembly as claimed in claim l in which the closed loop is filled with any suitable buoyant material.

3. A transportable float-supported centrifugal pump assembly, said assembly consisting of a float or floats serving to support an internal combustion engine above the liquid to be pumped by means of a plurality of straps passing directly from the engine casing to the float or floats; a centrifugal pump driven by said internal combustion engine and supported by a plurality of downwardly extending pillars attached to their upper ends to the underside of the engine casing, and at their lower ends to the uppermost outside surface of the pump casing to retain the centrifugal pump in horizontal disposition below the liquid surface; ancillary means for the supply of fuel to, and the control of operation of, said internal combustion engine; an inlet orifice to draw liquid into the pump; and a discharge pipe extending from the pump casing to convey the liquid under pressure from the pump after it has been acted upon by the rotation of the pump impeller vanes.

4. A transportable float-supported centrifugal pump assembly, said assembly consisting of a float or floats serving to support an internal combustion engine above the liquid to be pumped by means of a raised platform fabricated to an appropriate shape and bridging the space be tween the float or floats; a centrifugal pump driven by said internal combustion engine and supported by a plurality of pillars extending downwardly from the raised platform into fixed engagement with the uppermost outside surface of the pump casing to retain the centrifugal pump in horizontal disposition below the liquid surface; ancillary means for the supply of fuel to, and the control of operation of said internal combustion engine; an inlet orifice to draw liquid into the pump; and a discharge pipe extending from the pump casing to convey the liquid under pressure from the pump after it has been acted upon by the rotation of the pump impeller vanes.

5. A transportable float-supported centrifugal pump assembly comprising, in combination, float means adapted to float on a liquid to be pumped with at least a lower portion of said float means immersed in the liquid, said float means having a pair of spaced float portions defining a free spaced therebetween; support means connected to said spaced float portions and bridging said free space, at least a portion of said support means being above the level of the liquid; centrifugal pump means located in the liquid to be pumped and in said space between said spaced float portions, said pump means being supported by said support means with the lowest portion of said pump means slightly above the lowest portion of said float means; and motor means mounted on said portion of said support means and connected to said centrifugal pump means for driving the same, whereby said pump means is cooled by the liquid in which it is immersed while during movement of said assembly said pump means is protected by said float means.

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein said float means is annular.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein said pump means is located substantially in the center of said annular float means and arranged turnably about a substantially vertical axis.

8. An assembly as set forth in claim 7, wherein said pump means has a central inlet opening at said lowest portion thereof.

9. An assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein said support means includes a raised substantially central platform forming said portion of said support means and a plurality of straps connecting said raised platform to said annular float means.

10. An assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein said motor means is an internal combustion engine.

11. An assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein said centrifugal pump means has impeller vanes and a casing constructed from abrasion-resistant material.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,920,371 8/1933 Franke 10387 1,938,719 12/1933 Quimby 10387 3,086,472 4/ 1963 Lorenzetti 103-87 3,139,060 6/1964 Dane 239-182 X ROBERT M. WALKER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TRANSPORTABLE FLOAT-SUPPORTED CENTRIFUGAL PUMP ASSEMBLY, SAID ASSEMBLY CONSISTING OF A SINGLE FLOAT FABRICATED INTO THE FORM OF A CLOSED LOOP RECTANGULAR IN SHAPED WITH ITS SIDES FORMED FROM LENGTHS OF HOLLOW TUBING OF CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTION HAVING MITERED ENDS WELDED TOGETHER TO FORM A STRUCTURE SEALED AGAINST THE INGRESS OF LIQUID, SAID FLOAT SERVING TO SUPPORT AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE ABOVE THE LIQUID TO BE PUMPED; A CENTRIFUGAL PUMP DRIVEN BY SAID INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AND SUPPORTED BY SAID FLOAT BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE LIQUID TO BE PUMPED; ANCILLARY MEANS FOR THE SUPPLY OF FUEL TO, AND THE CONTROL OF OPERATION OF, SAID INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE; AN INLET ORIFICE TO DRAW LIQUID INTO THE PUMP; AND DISCHARGE PIPE EXTENDING FROM THE PUMP CASING TO CONVEY THE LIQUID UNDER PRESSURE FROM THE PUMP AFTER IT HAS BEEN ACTED UPON THE ROTATION OF THE PUMP IMPELLER VANES. 